Cal Football: USC Game Thread - Bears Trounced 41-17, Stuck on 5 Wins

Bears need a win over Stanford or UCLA to become bowl eligible

Photo by John Hefti, USA Today

The Bottom Line: USC freshman quarterback Kedon Slovis passed for 406 yards and four touchdowns and the Trojans outscored the Bears 41-3 in the  middle 49 minutes of the game on the way to a 41-17 victory.

One week after beating Washington State 33-20, the Bears fell to 5-5 overall, 2-5 in Pac-12 play. They need one more victory to become bowl eligible for the second straight season.

They may have to face Stanford in next week's Big Game without quarterback Chase Garbers, who was knocked out of the game early in the second quarter with what coach Justin Wilcox called an injury "unrelated" to the one what sidelined him for four games.

Also uncertain due to injury are running back Christopher Brown Jr. and Ashtyn Davis.   

REPORT FROM CAL ON EVAN TATTERSALL: The redshirt freshman linebacker, injured on kickoff coverage with 9:15 left in the second quarter, is alert and has movement in his extremities, according to Cal officials. He was taken to the hospital as a precautionary measure.

PRE-GAME: Cal (5-4, 2-4) takes aim at bowl eligibility tonight in the annual Joe Roth Game against USC (6-4, 5-2) at Memorial Stadium.

This one may last a while.

I covered Jared Goff and the Bears when they beat Washington State 60-59 at Pullman, and that game lasted until nearly 11:40 p.m.

This game could go later still.

Injury update: WR Nikko Remigio warmed up with his teammates and appeared to be ready to play. But WR Kekoa Crawford was nowhere to be seen during pre-game work.

This is the final home game of the season, so Cal fans will bid farewell to 13 seniors, including linebacker Evan Weaver, safeties Ashtyn Davis and Jaylinn Hawkins and nickel back Traveon Beck.

But the Bears announced some good news for their future earlier this week with word that senior defensive back Josh Drayden will sit out the remainder of the schedule to preserve his red-shirt year, and that defensive ends Luc Bequette and Zeandae Johnson plan to file for NCAA waivers to each get sixth years of eligibility.

Tonight’s game features the return of starting quarterback Chase Garbers, who led the Bears to a 4-0 start before being injured Sept. 27 against Arizona State.

Cal lost four in a row at that point before ending its skid last week with a 33-20 home victory over Washington State. Devon Modster quarterbacked that victory and passed for three touchdowns while running for a fourth.

But the coaching staff has given the assignment back to Garbers, the red-shirt sophomore who has a 10-5 record as a starting quarterback.

Check back throughout tonight’s game for updates and analysis on what’s happening in Strawberry Canyon.

Coin flip: USC wins the flip and defers. Cal will receive the opening kickoff.

12:21 1st Q: Cal moves easily to the USC 10-yard line when Christopher Brown Jr. is taken down for a 4-yard loss to the 14. Officials review the play and rule that tackler Christian Rector was guilty of targeting. It's a personal foul that gives Cal a first down at the 5 and Rector is ejected. Replays indicated that Rector led with his helmet. 

12:05 1st Q: On first down after the targeting penalty, DeShawn Collins goes into the end zone from 5 yards and Cal leads 7-0. The Bears went 75 yards in seven plays, aided by a pass interference penalty and the targeting penalty. Chase Garbers threw a 10-yard pass completion and ran 10 yards on a designed keeper. Christopher Brown Jr. had two carries for 29 yards Cal 7, USC 0.

8:11  1st Q: The Trojans strike back quickly, moving 75 yards in 8 plays with freshman QB Kedon Slovis completing 6 of 6 passes for 56 yards, including an 18-yard TD to wide-open Amon-Ra St. Brown. Cal 7, USC 7.

6:21 1st Q: A 19-yard pass from Garbers to Makai Polk is overturned on review - he was out of bounds. Cal winds up punting for the first time. USC to start at its own 28-yard line. Cal 7, USC 7.

5:40 1st Q: Cal forces a punt, aided by a USC unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Trojans already have been flagged four times for 40 yards. Cal starts at its own 39. Cal 7, USC 7.

0:07 1st Q: Trojans take the lead on Chase McGrath's 41-yard field goal, despite a pair of sacks of Slovis on the drive. Tevin Paul got the first one and Luc Bequette and Kuony Deng combined for the second. But McGrath's leg has put the Trojans in front. USC 10, Cal 7.

END OF 1ST QTR: USC outgained the Bears 124 yards to 63 in the opening quarter, although Cal had a 6-5 edge in first downs. Chase Garbers was 3 for 8 for just 19 yards, although two of his passes were dropped. Kedon Slovis was 10 for 13 for 113 yards and a touchdown. USC 10, Cal 7.

12:45 2nd Q: Potential trouble for the Bears -- Garbers gets up very slowly and is helped to the sideline after a 4-yard keeper for a first down to the USC 45. Devon Modster is back at QB. USC 10, Cal 7.

9:22 2nd Q: Modster moves the Bears to the 20-yard line before Greg Thomas comes on to kick a game-tying 37-yard field goal. Modster was 2 for 4 for 19 yards after replacing Garbers, who has emerged from the medical tent and is standing on the sidelines. Cal 10, USC 10. 

9:15 2nd Q: Cal's Evan Tattersall, a redshirt freshman linebacker from Granite Bay, went down on the kickoff coverage and remains on his back on the field, receiving medical attention. A medical cart is on the field and he will be put on a board and taken out of the stadium. Tattersall was hit by USC's Juliano Falaniko.

5:49 2nd Q: Minutes after returning a punt 19 yards and trying to hurdle a USC tackler, Cal's Ashtyn Davis is walking out of the north end of the stadium accompanied by a medical or training staff member. The Bears' injury list is mounting. By the way, Modster played QB on Cal's most recent series. Cal 10, USC 10.

Update on Tattersall: Cal officials report that Tattersall is alert, has movement in his extremities and has been taken to the hospital as a precautionary measure. Good news.

0:43 2nd Qtr: While there was good news about Tattersall, the Trojans have regained the lead. They went 79 yards in 11 plays with Slovis throwing a 33-yard TD pass to Michael Pittman Jr., who caught the ball in the end zone as cornerback Elijah Hicks got turned around on the play. USC 17, Cal 10.

Halftime stat: Here's a stunning number - USC had 143 yards on third down plays in the first half. The Bears totaled 111 yards.

12:11 3rd Q: USC moves easily and quickly to pad its lead. The Trojans went 74 yards in six plays with Slovis completing a 50-yard pass to St. Brown, then an 8-yard TD pass to Drake London. Slovis is 21 for 25 for 266 yards and three TDs. USC 24, Cal 10.

7:20 3rd Q: Chase McGrath's 32-yard field goal pushes the USC margin to 17 points. Still no Chase Garbers and no Ashtyn Davis at safety, although he is in on kickoff return, presumably as a sure set of hands to make a fair catch. USC 27, Cal 10. 

4:04 3rd Q: USC nickel back Greg Johnson intercepts a tipped Modster pass and returns it 32 yards to the Cal 23-yard line. This game is over.

2:29 3rd Q: The Trojans are pouring it on. Stephen Carr scores on a 2-yard run for USC's third touchdown of the third quarter. Total yards: USC 368, Cal 145. Slovis has 347 of those yards through the air. USC 34, Cal 10.

End of 3rd Qtr: USC leads 34-10 and dominates the statistics. The Trojans have outgained Cal 368 yards to 161. They are averaging 7.7 yards per play, compared to 3.4 for the Bears. USC 34, Cal 10.

10:12 4th Qtr: Slovis throws his fourth touchdown of the game, a 5-yarder to tight end Josh Falo. Slovis has passed for 406 yards. USC 41, Cal 10.